Lake Shawnee (New Jersey) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Shawnee |
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 Lake Shawnee
Location in New Jersey
Lake Shawnee
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jefferson Township, New Jersey |
| Coordinates | 40°58′10″N 074°35′48″W / 40.96944°N 74.59667°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary outflows | Beaver Brook |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 83 acres (34 ha) |
| Average depth | 5 ft (1.5 m) |
| Surface elevation | 928 ft (283 m) |
Lake Shawnee is a small, private lake in Jefferson Township, New Jersey, United States. It covers about 83 acres. Water flows out of Lake Shawnee into Beaver Brook. This brook then joins Lake Hopatcong, which is New Jersey's biggest lake. Lake Shawnee is also the starting point for the Musconetcong River watershed.
Contents
Exploring Lake Shawnee: A New Jersey Lake
How Lake Shawnee Was Developed
The area known as the Lake Shawnee Reservation was created in 1946. A company called Arthur D. Crane Company, which developed real estate, started this project. They formed the Lake Shawnee Club.
The company began selling land around the lake for homes. Many of these homes were first used only in the summer. By 1948, the first two houses were built. Over the next 15 years, the Club grew to include 562 members who lived there.
Later, the clubhouse was built. The first beach, which was not part of the original land sales, was bought by the Club members. They raised money to buy it from the Crane Company. A person named Carl Peterson helped a lot with developing the third beach area. He was known as "Mr. Shawnee" by people living nearby.
The Lake Shawnee Dam
The dam at Lake Shawnee was damaged during a big storm in March 2010. Before the storm, the dam was already under stress. A very snowy winter had caused the water levels in the lake to rise a lot.
The Lake's Mailing Address
In 2016, there was an effort to change the mailing address for Lake Shawnee. Some residents wanted to change the Wharton, New Jersey 07885 ZIP code. They wanted to use the Lake Hopatcong 07849 ZIP code instead. This effort was almost successful but was narrowly defeated. Another attempt to change the ZIP code to 07849 is planned for 2026.
